Minnesota’s Rapidan Dam Experiences Partial Failure Amid Severe Flooding

Local officials said there are no plans for a mass evacuations despite the ‘imminent failure’ of the dam.

Onlookers take in the catastrophic damage to the Rapidan Dam site in Rapidan, Minn., Monday, June 24, 2024. Debris blocked the dam forcing the heavily backed up waters of the Blue Earth River to reroute along the bank nearest the Dam Store. Casey Ek/The Free Press via AP

The Rapidan Dam in Minnesota experienced “a partial failure” on Monday following heavy rain and severe flooding in the area, but there are no plans for a mass evacuation so far, according to local officials.

The Blue Earth County government stated in a Facebook post on Monday that the dam was still intact and “a portion of the river flow has diverted around the west side of the dam” while water continues to flow.